Highway department requests $100,000 for snow removal

GOSHEN — As Elkhart County braces for the next big winter storm, the county highway department is asking for more money to plow snow that has blanketed the area.

The county commissioners approved $100,000 for snow removal requested by highway manager Jeff Taylor on Monday, Feb. 3. If approved by the county council, the funding will come from the county’s road and street account.

“We have been utilizing contractors this year to assist us, and we’ve depleted those funds,” Taylor told the commissioners. “I haven’t had time to do any analysis, but my guess is this is already spent.”

The National Weather Service is predicting that another 6 to 10 inches of snow will be dumped on Michiana by Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 5. Strong winds may create a challenge for snow removal crews as they work on rural county roads.

Commissioner Mike Yoder reminded Taylor at the meeting that potholes will become a problem in the spring and asked whether the highway department had set aside money for fixing them.

“We had purchased last year in the annual bid contract a number of tons of pothole patch,” Taylor told Yoder. “We’re just waiting for good weather.”